


One Moment..

by FluffyPancakes151



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Best Friends, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Family, Feels, Flashbacks, Fluff, Friendship, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-07 19:12:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11630070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FluffyPancakes151/pseuds/FluffyPancakes151
Summary: Ailar - a planet identical to Earth, but much more advanced, much cleaner. The people here call themselves aileers. There are no wars and little to no criminal activity. But despite how much it seems that life on it is perfect, Ailar has one big minus. Every few hundred years it's attacked by a mysterious force, but nowadays the people deny it. 'The bulls' are nothing but a myth and that's that. So when they are warned of the event they laugh and go about with their day. But a few people don't. Some of them have records of the anomaly and they know what's coming. The only way to escape the bulls is through air, they have the devices for that. But what to do if these devices malfunction? Two kids find out first hand. Join them on their path to survival through the apocalypse that destroyed their home.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based on a dream that I had and is being written by me and Nicole08 on FH. Illustrations will be added at some point. Enjoy! Also it's unbetaed, so please forgive any mistakes that have occurred.

Ralene sighed and glanced slightly upwards at the clock as her fingers drummed impatiently against the smooth surface of her desk. Just fifteen minutes more and she'd be free. Glancing at the other students she noted that most of them were still writing, hunched over their holopaper and their pens almost frantically moving over it as they tried to cram at least a few more answers before the bell rang. Ralene snorted at that. After this each of them will be complaining about how difficult it was and what a bitch their new math teacher was for giving them when in truth they only had themselves to blame. But then again who was she to judge? She'd always been rather good at math.

Looking back down at her own paper, her eyes ran over the questions and their answers yet again. Yep, everything seemed to be in order there. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she realized that she was being watched. Glancing up, her hazel eyes met watery blue ones behind heavy rimmed glasses. Oh, no, not this idiot again. 

The boy staring at her was far from good looking. His eyes seemed large, too large to be considered normal thanks to the round glasses he wore. His nose was crooked as if it were broken at least once, his ears stuck out instead of being pressed flat against his skull and his two front teeth peeked out from beneath his top lip. The boy's hair, which was a dirty blond color, curled over her shoulders and looked like it hadn't been washed in god knows how long.

Artlin.

Now, Ralene wasn't one to judge a person from just appearance. She had other reasons for disliking her admirer besides that. 'Artly' as he was called, was stupid and ignorant and just plain boring. He tried to get her attention once and it included showing Ralene pictures of his cats and telling her about his collection of clocks of all things. Frankly, the girl was surprised how he hadn't gone deaf yet will all those machines ringing at once every now and then. Oh, and he also had a nasty habit of following her around wherever she went.

Ralene scowled at him, satisfaction blooming in her chest when Artlin immediately turned away when he caught sight of her displeasure. She was about to return to counting the minutes when she heard a muffled snort and turned to look at the owner of the rather undignified sound. 

The sound came from Dalran. The most popular boy in class. He and Ralene weren't very close per say, but they did share a few jokes now and then. Dalran was smart, handsome, strong, funny, everything the head boy of the class should have. His black hair was short and always ruffled, he had dark brown eyes that would sometimes take on a black color, an aristocratic nose and high cheekbones bones.. A handsome face all together. 

It seemed that Dalran had caught the short interaction between Ralene and Artlin and was currently shaking with silent laughter as he met the girl's gaze. Ralene couldn't help, but let a small smile appear on her face and turned away again just when the bell rang. 

Whooping internally with joy, she gathered her books and office supplies (pens, pencils, etc.), deposited her signed holopaper in the bony hand of their math teacher and was out the door before anyone could stop her.

The crisp air felt pleasant against her skin when she finally got out of the stuffy building. Walking down the stone steps she stopped for a few moments to enjoy the fresh air as well as the soft breeze that gently ruffled her long auburn hair, glad to have some peace and quiet... not for long though.

"Hey, Ralene, wait up!"

She turned around. Dalran was sprinting down the steps, hastily pulling on his dark jacket as he hurried to catch up to her. 

"It's Rah-leen, Dalran, not Rah-lee-nee. You don't pronounce the 'e' on the end. Honestly, when will you learn?" She scolded, but the corners of her mouth twitched upwards slightly, thus betraying her amusement.

The boy snorted softly and grabbed her bag in retaliation. "Come on, I'll accompany you to your house?" Ralene nodded, sighing inwardly. It wasn't that she didn't like him, hell, she had a crush on him and it took her a long while to overcome it, but it was just that as stated before, they weren't very close. So the only reason he was doing this is if he wanted something. 

They walked in relatively comfortable silence. Dalran had refused to let Ralene carry her bag, some crap about being a gentleman, so the girl let him and was content to just watch the scenery around them. 

Their school, a medium sized building consisting of six floors and made of white stone, was near a park through which Ralene walked every day to school and back. In the whole city, this was perhaps her favorite place. Tall trees aligned neatly alongside clean sandy paths, a small wooden bridge over a river, one of the few wooden objects in the city. 

Ralene smiled as they walked past a huge tree, it's branches heavy with leaves and it was bent slightly from their weight. During the warmer days she would often come here, either to do her homework in the fresh air or just relax. Nobody minded. Qaden loved this tree to... although he preferred to hang around the top branches instead of the base of the tree like his sister.

Ralene's smile broadened. Huh, Qaden.. Her older brother. She loved him. Even though Qaden was five years older than she, they always had a close bond. Their mother had even told them how he took an oath to always protect Ralene, no matter the cost.

She glanced at the boy walking beside her. He seemed to be lost in thought as well, his bag flung over his shoulders while he held onto hers with one hand, the other concealed within the pocket of the jacket. There was a distant look in his eyes that told her that if she said something he probably wouldn't hear her.

It didn't take very long to get to the apartment building in which Ralene's family lived.  
As she was about to enter the building, getting out they keys to the apartment on the way, she was stopped by Dalran.

"Hey, d'you think I could talk to Qaden? The guys said he's the best programmer the school's seen for a while and..." He trailed off, shrugging and looking away sheepishly. Ralene smirked slightly, she expected this.

"You know, you don't have to escort me to my home if you just wanted to see my brother." She smiled, amused, and opened the door to the building, inviting him inside with a short wave of her hand. The boy smiled, somewhat apologetically and walked in after her.

As it turned out, Ralene's brother had not yet returned home from school when they arrived. The girl had offered for Dalran to wait of course, but he refused, saying that he had some 'stuff' to deal with and would come by at another time. Ralene could only shake her head at him as he left. 

Her mother, Sylena, did not let the incident slide and was soon questioning her daughter about 'that wonderful young man'. It took Ralene a long time to convince her mother that her classmate was only here to talk to her brother, most likely to discuss the career choice. Qaden was a programmer and a talented one at that, it was obvious that Dalran was there to ask him about his job and such before he made the ultimate decision. As for Ralene, the red head had not yet decided what she was going to be. Right now she was considering going into animation, she drew really well and it would be something she actually enjoyed. Sitting all day in front of a monitor and deal with stacks of papers just didn't appeal to her.

When she finally managed to get out of her mother's clutches(seriously, she'd never met another woman who loved gossiping as much as her), the girl plopped heavily onto a chair in front of her desk and reached for her bag. Her hand was soon flying over the holopaper, drawing out difficult diagrams and formulas, but her hazel eyes were unfocused as if she were deep in thought and barely paying any attention to her homework. Not that she needed really, the topic they were going through was very easy. 

Some part of her was still disappointed that Dalran didn't visit them for her. 'But..', she told herself, 'What did I expect?'. Indeed what did she expect? That he would suddenly confess his love to her? She snorted at that, just imagining it was funny. Ralene wasn't delusional, she knew that she wasn't by any means ugly, but she wasn't the most beautiful either. Dark auburn hair that was slightly longer than shoulder length and pulled into a high pony tail, bright hazel eyes with long eyelashes, a straight nose, thin lips, all set in a heart shaped face. She was pretty, but not beautiful. 

Sighing, she closed the book she was using for reference and crossed her arms, staring, expressionless, at the wall.

"Ailar to Rally!"

The girl gave an undignified shriek, falling backwards from her chair and landing painfully on the floor, sending the cackling teenager a glare. The boy standing over her was about sixteen and was rather tall, somewhere around 5'9. His reddish brown hair was short and ruffled(really did all boys enjoy ruffling their hair?), an elongated face, high cheekbones with a straight nose and dark emerald green eyes that were currently sparkling with mischief. 

"Qaden, really?" Ralene hissed angrily as she accepted the boy's hand and let him pull her to stand. The boy chuckled as he watched his younger sister fume. "Does scaring your little sister give you some kind of satisfaction?!"

The teenager backed up a little, raising his arms in a gesture of surrender. "Well, to be honest you're not that little, you're eleven years old." He shrugged and was immediately forced to take a step back when the red head let out a growl."Ok, ok, I'm sorry I startled you. Mom sent me to tell you dinner's ready and you weren't responding.." 

Ralene's glare softened and she sighed, giving her brother a light pat on the arm as she passed him. "Let's go then."

The room they entered was spacious and well lit. In the middle of it stood a large dining table with five chairs standing around it. Behind it stood a large cabinet, it's black and white surface glossy, reflecting the light that was cast upon it by the chandelier. In the middle of it was a rectangular space, just large enough to fit a wall mounted tv console. To the left of the cabinet stood a big and comfortable looking sofa while to the right a large window took up most of the wall. 

Three people were already seated at the table and looked up when the two kids entered the room. Kruffa, Ralene and Qaden's grandmother scowled at them before scolding them lightly for taking so long, Sylena only offered her children a sympathetic smile and offered each of them the stewpot that she was holding filled with a delicious smelling soup. Taffar, their father, only spared the duo a glance before returning to his newspaper ( which he was soon forced to discard when his wife cave him a sharp nudge in the ribs). 

They were halfway through their meal when Kruffa decided that she wanted to hear the news. Nobody stopped her as the elderly woman turned on the console, it was their daily routine, she was permitted to do anything she wanted in this house and none of them would protest, unless they were willing to sacrifice their eardrums of course. 'My mother is very old', Sylena would often reason, 'It comes with age, we must ignore it and be supportive of her.' Ralene disagreed with that, their other grandmother, Taffar's mother, was the most pleasant person the girl had ever met and she was five years older than Kruffa. But she held her tongue and said nothing aloud.

"Now, moving on to other news, historians have been looking into legends and believe that what they've discovered is of great interest."

At that Ralene immediately perked up, her hazel eyes focusing on the console with interest. She loved legends, she had stacks of books with all kinds of myths and stories. Those that she'd especially liked, she learned by heart and could retell at any time if she were asked. Her mother and father looked up too which was surprising, considering that they rarely paid attention to the news.

"I'm sure you all remember the tale about the bulls," an image popped up beside the reporter's head. It depicted a large animal with an almost hilariously long tail and sharp looking horns. It stood on it's hind legs, rearing up high and looking like it was just moments from coming crashing down on the huddled figure beneath it. Ralene recognized it as her species, an aileer. The reporter meanwhile continued.

"According to legends, these mythical creatures come every few hundred years and cause massive destruction in their wake." The man smiled. "It's a scary tale that we've all heard from our parents whenever we misbehaved. Well, our historians have decided to look into this silly tale and it seems that each of us might meet a bull this very evening!" He laughed as if the possible apocalypse did not bother him in the least. Ralene mustered a small smile of her own, but it soon disappeared as she glanced at the people gathered around the table.

Her mother was as pale as the pearly white plate in front of her, her father's hands were clenched over the edge of the table, his knuckles were white from the force he was exerting and small dents appeared where he was holding onto the smooth surface. Kruffa was just as white as her daughter, staring frozen at the console. The red head turned to her brother who mirrored her confused look.

"According to their calculations, the bulls should be coming somewhere around nine o'clock this evening." A crooked smirk stretched across the reporter's face. He opened his mouth as if he were going to say something when a sudden ringing sound cut him off suddenly. Vaguely, Ralene realized that it sounded like a phone. There were some muttered words, something about 'unknown number' and 'put it on speaker' before the reporter was replaced by static that suddenly took over the screen of the console. Through the random beeping and static noises, Ralene clearly heard four words.

"They are coming. Run."

And as suddenly as it started it stopped. The reporter reappeared on the screen, the smile on his face was gone and if anything he looked spooked. "Uhh nothing to worry about dear viewers." He said, trying to feign a smile, though it looked like he swallowed a lemon. "Just a stupid prank by some kids I'm su-" The reporter was cut off for a second time, but this time there was no static, the screen switched to black. 

Sylena was standing, though Ralene did not know when she had moved. The woman's face was white and her arm was stretched out in front of her, herself lying the remote control which she had used to shut off the tv console. After a few minutes, she lowered her arm and that's when the kids realized that she was shaking. The woman took a deep breath and looked down to meet the inquisitive looks her children were sending her.

"Come." Was all she said before hastily exiting the room, closely followed by equally horrified Kruffa and Taffar. Qaden turned to his sister and they both stood up shakily from the dinner table and followed the adults.

They all stopped in their parents bedroom. Ralene had been here only a few times and she was surprised to see that everything was here just as she remembered. The spacious bed stood in the middle of the slightly rounded room, with small nightstands on each side of it. The large painting was still hanging on the wall over the bed. It was a painting of a sun setting in some mountains the red head did not recognize. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling was the same and the wardrobe was still there, pushed against the far wall. Speaking of which...

Sylena was reaching somewhere behind it, as if she were looking for something. A sharp crack and a hissing noise announced that the woman had found what she was looking for. The star like picture on the floor that Ralene had always found somewhat peculiar suddenly rose up and parted, presenting what it contained. The girl was pretty sure that the sound of her jaw colliding with the floor was audible. 

Gloves. Five pairs of them. Just simple gloves people would sometimes wear when they went on a bike ride. However, these were slightly different from what she'd seen. They were black and a navy blue, on their palm sides there were five small lapis colored crystals, all holding a cylinder like form. These crystals were all connected by pulsing lines of the same color, forming a unique pattern. All the lines led to a circular... hole? If she were being honest with herself, Ralene didn't know what they were but these 'holes' shone a bright cerulean light that blinded her and she had to look away to regain her sight.

"Mother, what-?" She heard her brother stutter and the adults turned to the two kids. Selena's gaze softened and suddenly she pulled the two of them into a hug. Several drops of some kind of liquid landed on Ralene's shoulder and the girl realized that her mother was crying. 

She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but the older woman just shushed her gently, leaning away so she could look at her two children, but not releasing them from her hold. 

"Please, just listen to me." She whispered and Ralene nodded hastily, fear slowly taking hold within her. She had never heard her mother beg. Qaden murmured some form of agreement from his spot next to her, obviously just as stunned and horrified as his little sister.

"Please, whatever happens, please remember that we all love you. Mommy loves you, daddy loves you and so does your grandmother."She said, her tone cracking at the end of the sentence as she fought to regain her composure, but she was incapable of holding back the broken sobs.

"Mother, what's going on?" She heard her brother ask. They both ignored the childish names Sylena had used. Something was horribly, horribly wrong. "It's not about the bulls is it? It's just a legend and the reporter said that- No." Qaden was cut off by their mother before he could finish. "They're real son, your great great great grandfather survived through the event. He and his family left records. The bulls are real."

The two kids recoiled from her touch, shock evident on their faces. Sylena rose shakily to her legs and Taffar took her place in the conversation, reaching to take two pairs of gloves. "The only way for all of us to live is if we use these." Unlike his wife, he managed to keep a move or less calm composure as he gave each of them a pair. 

Crouching in front of his daughter, he took one glove and strapped it onto her hand. Immediately the crystals began to flash and light up, depending on how tight the glove was strapped on. He did the same with her other hand until all of them shone with a bright lapis colored light. 

"The only way we can avoid them is in the air" He explained looking up at Qaden who had copied his movements and was now wearing his gloves as well. Gesturing to the odd piece of clothing, he continued. " These are like portable jetpacks, that's the closest thing that can describe them. You need only curl a finger and they will get you up into the air, as high as you want. The crystals act like pressure readings, if you strap them on really tight like I did just now and all of them light up that means that you'll get very high up, just enough to avoid the danger." 

While he was talking, his wife and mother-in-law pulled on theirs. Ralene opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. What could she say? That this was insane, impossible? That the adults were acting crazy? But just by looking at each of pale face she could tell that they were absolutely serious.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she looked up at Qaden. The boy met her gaze and tilted his head to the doorway, silently telling her to leave the three adults be for now. Nodding, she followed him.

They stopped in the hallway, just enough to be out of earshot of the adults in the bedroom. Ralene didn't talk, didn't lift her gaze from the silver tile of the floor. She felt rather than heard movement and suddenly a shadow fell over the spot she was looking at.

"..Sis?" Qaden's voice was quiet and she felt him grasp her shoulders as he tried to force her to look at him, but she refused. Her head hung low, the long strands of dark auburn hair obscuring her face and shielding it from her brother's view, but the boy was not so easily dissuaded.

He grasped her chin, gentle but firm, lifting her face so that hazel eyes could meet green. His heart clenched when he saw the fear, shock and horror so clearly displayed before him and pulled the red head into a hug, pouring all the love and comfort he could offer through the simple touch.

"Hey, it's gonna be alright, you hear me?" Qaden' voice was barely more than a whisper as he held the smaller body flush against his. "We're gonna make it through this. Maybe it's all just a stupid joke and in the morning we'll wake up just as usual with mom yellin' at us to hurry up." 

He smiled, or at least tried to. Ralene sniffed, her eyes moistening and hid her face in the comfort of the boy's shoulder, shuddering when she felt him caress her head soothingly. Suddenly, he pulled away, just enough to meet her gaze yet again. 

"Now, what say you we go and try out these jetpacks? I bet our classmates will be soo jealous when they hear about them." Despite the grim atmosphere Ralene managed to muster a chuckle. "Yeah, I suppose they will be." Her voice was quiet, but more or less steady and the tears that were threatening to spill disappeared. 

Qaden gave her a soft smile and stood up, taking her hand into his as he led them into the large living room to test their newly acquired 'jetpacks'. 

The living room was the biggest and most spacious area in the whole apartment. The only furniture you could find here was a long sectional sofa, a few tall vases with miniature trees their mother was adamant on having and another large tv console against the wall. It was the perfect spot to try out their new equipment. 

Ralene looked down, anxiously examining her gloves. Curl a finger her father had said. Biting her bottom lip, she twitched her pointer finger before curling it slowly. A stream of water hit her in the face. Luckily, it was merely a trickle so she wasn't soaked. Hearing laughter, she sent her brother a glare, though it contained no venom. Ok, so don't do it palm up.

She held her arms at her sides and shut her eyes, then counted to ten and curled her fingers at the same time. She felt herself being wrenched upwards by the force of the water that came out of the 'holes' of the gloves. Opening her eyes, she looked down. She was barely fifteen centimeters off the ground. Uncurling her fingers, she landed shakily on the floor and looked down at her gloves in confusion.

The pressure readings looked fine, the glove was strapped as tightly as possible over her hand, so why wasn't it working? 

She looked at Qaden. Her brother hadn't moved from his spot and was staring expectantly at his gloves. His fingers were curled, but no water came out. Fear began to crawl up Ralene's spine. Something was wrong. She didn't go up as high as she was supposed to and Qaden hadn't lifted himself up at all.

She watched him switch fingers. And again, and again, and again. Nothing worked. Not even a drop of water fell from his 'jetpack'. She watched as he turned his hand to look at his palm and gasped. The light of the crystals was flaring erratically and so were the lines that stretched from them to the circular part from which the water was supposed to come. 

Ralene looked down at her own gloves and a lump formed in her throat. The lights on her gloves were flickering as well. "Must be a malfunction." The red head looked up. Qaden was looking down at her, raw fear and despair radiating from him. He had finally dropped the mask. 

"We aren't getting into the air." It wasn't a question, but a statement. Ralene had to force the words out of her throat. Qaden shook his head, a bitter laugh bubbling out of his chest. 

"No, no we aren't." Silence fell between them as each of them realized just how much they didn't want to die. They were still kids, for god's sake! They had an entire life to live! They couldn't die, not yet, it was too soon. 

Ralene's eyes burned and she felt tears slide down her face. This was it wasn't it. The sixteen year old beside her sighed, reaching for his phone in his pocket. 

"I..um.." He cleared his throat loudly, refusing to meet his sister's gaze. "I.. suppose I'll say.. goodbye.. t-to my friends back in Yawtue." He muttered. Ralene had to strain her ears to catch those few words.

They had just recently moved cities and now the girl wished they hadn't. She had friends back there and none here. She had no one to say goodbye too, nobody to seek comfort from before death. She knew she couldn't go to her parents. They'd no doubt give their jetpacks to her and Qaden to save them. Ralene would never forgive herself if she knew that she could have done something to prevent their deaths.

She didn't notice when she started walking, but suddenly there was a door in front of her, dark brown and glossy with a humorous poster stuck to it with tape somewhere near the top. 'Forget the dog, beware of owner.' The small smile on her face was forced. 

"Guys... guys please listen to me." It was Qaden. And oh gods was he crying? "Look, I-if anything happens to me, I-I just you all to know... Thanks, f-for being my friends and sticking with me for as long as you did.." She heard laughter come from the phone. A few voices said something, but the sound was garbled and she couldn't hear the exact words. But in fact, she didn't need to.

The laughter was unmistakable, the mocking. They didn't believe him, they were making fun of him. Something hot trickled down her uncovered palm and she looked down. She didn't realize up till now that her hands were clenched, and her palms, which were no longer covered by the gloves, had small trickles of blood dripping off them. Her nails had dug into her skin deep enough to make cuts. Superficial really. 

But she was fascinated. She watched the drops of crimson bubble out and drip down as if she hadn't seen a more interesting sight. Suddenly, Ralene was hyper aware of herself. She examined her arms and legs and torso and marveled at every little detail that distinguished her from the others. Why hadn't she noticed it before?

'Because before you weren't about to die.' Her mind supplied and she knew that it was true. She slammed her clenched fist against the wall, ignoring the pain that irradiated from it. The girl wanted to scream a childish 'It isn't fair!', but held back instead opting to think.

The bulls attacked every few hundred years and the only way to escape them was through air. But what about underground. Her eyes widened. The last time aileers didn't have such an advanced society such as they had now. They didn't have basements.

"Qaden! Qaden!" She rapped on the door, no longer caring if someone heard them. The door opened almost immediately. Ralene stilled at the sight. Her brother's eyes were red and puffy from tears and his expression only betrayed his fear and sadness. 

"What's going on Ralene?" His voice was quiet and his tone.. It was the tone of voice that was only used when a person had completely given up all hope. 

"Qaden, the bulls attack every hundred years, right? And the only way to escape them was through air, right?" She spoke quickly, so her brother had to really strain his hearing. "Yeah, what're you getting at?" The red head did not miss the glimmer of returning hope in his hoarse voice.

"But what about underground? The last time the bulls attacked our species weren't as developed as we are now, they didn't have basements or anything." Qaden didn't say anything, instead he just gestured for her to continue. "So, there is a way, brother. We can get into this buildings basement and wait there!" 

Strong arms suddenly wrapped around her and she felt herself being pressed against his chest. His lips pressed against her forehead as he twirled on the spot, their joined laughter of relief chasing away the ugly feeling of fear and impending death. 

"Come on!" Qaden lowered her to the floor and clasped her arm into his as he sprinted down the hallway. "Let's go!" They raced down the winding stairway and out of the building, nearly knocking a middle aged man of his feet as he was seconds away from opening the door. They ignored the cursing aimed at them and turned the corner.

There it was! The entrance to the building's basement! They skidded to a halt next to it and Qaden crouched to one knee to grasp the handles. He pulled. Nothing happened. He tried again and again but to no avail. The doors were locked. He cursed and looked around frantically before picking up a stone and raising it over his head, no doubt to use it on the door.

Thick fingers wrapped around his wrist, stopping all movement. "Drop the stone lad." A gruff voice sounded behind them and Ralene turned around, her heart sinking once she realized who it was. The man holding Qaden's wrist was very large and fat, dirty yellow strands of hair just barely peeking from under his cap and with brown beady eyes that were currently fixed on the teenager before him.

But it wasn't the man's looks that got Ralene's attention. It was his uniform. A police uniform. Dammit.

They were soon seated in the police car. The police man and his partner took up the front seats while the kids were forced to take up the back ones. A pregnant pause stretched between them and Ralene took the chance to examine the fat police man's partner. He was the complete opposite. Lean and muscular, obviously a few years younger and with dark brown hair and warm black eyes he was a more pleasing sight than his companion. The girl decided she'd call them Fatty and Cool.

They were all silent for a few minutes before one of them decided to speak and for some reason she wasn't surprised that it was Fatty who started the conversation. 

"So.. why were ye tryin' ta get inta the basement, kids?" He slurred and the red head grimaced. She already hated everything about this guy. Cool didn't move, though she could feel his gaze on her and sure enough, when she looked up at the overview mirror she was met with his dark gaze boring into her. She fidgeted on her spot uncomfortably.

"Well?" It took her a moment to realize that it was Cool who was speaking now. His voice was vastly different from Fatty's as well. It was smooth and almost melodious, the type of voice that you'd want to listen to for hours on end.

Ralene cleared her throat and spoke before Qaden could. "We... we are running from the bulls sir." Fatty chocked and turned to stare at her as if she were crazy. "The bulls?" He croaked hoarsely. "But tha's jus' a legend. C'mon don' tell me you actually believe tha' crap." The girl's gaze dropped to her hands that were held tense over her lap.

"We-we have records sir, they say that the bulls are real. Our great great great grandfather survived it and he left a warning.." God, she was stammering, the dark gaze of the young officer was just that unnerving. Fatty laughed and Cool showed his amusement with a small smile.

"And from where will these bulls be coming from?" He asked in that smooth baritone. Ralene looked away. They didn't believe her and she didn't want to continue being a joke to them. She felt Qaden tense next to her and when she looked up she saw his green eyes light up with rage.

"My sister and I were just playing." He spoke up but Ralene could hear the barely controlled anger in his voice. "Me and my friends convinced her that the threat was real and that we'd have to hide in the basement. It's just a stupid prank that we were gonna play on her."

Fatty smiled knowingly. "Ah, trickin' yer younger siblin', huh? Used to do that all the time with ma' cousin." Cool however didn't say anything, Ralene could see the skepticism in his gaze. 

"I say we let 'em go wit' a warnin'" Fatty continued, addressing his companion. Cool waited for a few seconds, his black eyes boring into the read head before relenting and murmuring a quiet agreement, letting his overweight companion open the doors and let the kids go.

The two kids exited the car and watched as it rolled away. There was a pregnant pause as each of them considered what to do. There was no getting into the basement, were they doomed to death now? She looked up at Qaden. The boy seemed to be in deep thought, his green eyes distant.

"You know..." She perked up at the sound of his voice. Her brother was still not looking at her. "I've heard that the government keeps all the banks in check. Dump all kinds of experimental stuff in them.."

Ralene frowned. What was he getting at?

"They say that just about any bank has a secret underground room filled with the government's stuff.." Qaden suddenly looked down, green meeting hazel, hope rising in each of their hearts yet again. "What say you we go check it out?"

He didn't wait for an answer. Soon they were sprinting again until they turned another corner and skidded to a stop near a small bank. Ralene wouldn't have even noticed it if her brother hadn't stopped there. 

They looked around, cautious, before entering. Ralene wasn't as afraid of running into security here. Aileers had long been replaced by machines. The only thing they did have to fear was the external guard who was supposed to watch the entrance. Something about having a backup plan of the systems began to glitch.

She should've been more cautious. She should have questioned herself where the guard was, but she was too caught up in her hope to think. 

Qaden had disappeared in the next room and she was about to follow him when strong arms wrapped around her for the second time that day. But they weren't her brother's. 

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" A voice drawled and suddenly she was released. Stumbling slightly, she regained her footing and turned to face the man to whom the voice belonged to.

He was tall, taller than her brother and father. Due to the lack of proper lighting, she could not see the details of his face, but she could tell that the man in front of her was quite handsome by aileer stats. Dark hair with silver streaks that shone blue (depending on the light), a straight nose, thin lips and intelligent eyes that seemed to look into her very being, reminding her of Cool's gaze back in the police car. But they were different people! Weren't they?

Noticing that the girl wasn't about to speak the man sighed and leaned against one of the machines people used to change money, Ralene wasn't sure what they were called. "What are you doing here? And so late in the evening too? Not thinking of robbing the bank, are you?" A tiny humorless smile stretched the guard's lips.

The girl shook and looked away, unsure of what to say or do. The police men hadn't believed her. They had thought that her and Qaden's reasoning was a joke! But she was so tired, so close to safety, to survival!

"Please we need to hide!" She blurted out suddenly, surprising even herself. "We have records, the bulls are real and we need to hide! Please! Mom-mom said that we could only avoid them in the air and our jetpacks weren't working! We couldn't let our parents give theirs up for us!" She was sobbing, when had she started sobbing? "Qaden s-said that the bank had und-derground rooms and we could hide there! And-and.."

She trailed off when warm hands settled over her shoulders. Looking up, she saw that the guard wasn't leaning on the machines anymore and was now crouched in front of her, clasping her shoulders as she cried. 

"I can hide you." He spoke at last, his voice calm and gentle, soothing somehow and causing her sobs to cease. 

"Please." She whispered, looking down as if she were ashamed of her own begging. "W-we'll pay you if you want." She hiccuped. When she looked up again, she was shocked to see the smile on the guard's face. It wasn't condescending, he wasn't laughing at her, instead it was soft and gentle and as he stood up, the girl realized that she trusted him to keep her and her brother safe.

"Come." The guard was holding her hand now, gently leading her to the center of the room. Stretching from the floor to the ceiling was a glass tube Ralene hadn't noticed till now. 

Inside was a computer console filled with all kinds of switches and buttons the girl didn't know the function of. There was also an office chair, but it was bolted to the floor. 

'Wow, that must be really uncomfortable to sit on.' Ralene thought as she surveyed the chair. It's seat and back were littered with the same small buttons and switches that were present on the computer panel.

The guard pressed something she did not see, some button probably, and the crescent shaped glass door swished smoothly to the side, allowing entry into the small chamber. The red head gaped at it before turning to the man who gestured for her to enter, a small smile playing on his lips.

Some part of her screamed not to trust him, stranger danger after all, but for some reason she just knew that he would not harm her. 

The door slid shut behind her just as smoothly and she turned to face the guard again' her palms pressed flat against the glass surface."What about my brother? I-I'll double the payment if that's what you want!" Desperation laced her voice.

The guard merely smiled. "Don't worry, I'll find him and hide him as well."

That brought her to her next question. Was she safe in this tube? Was it like unbreakable glass or something? The panel pressed uncomfortably against her back as she fidgeted in the small triangular space between the panel, chair and glass door. 

"Am I safe here?" She asked at last. The guard's chuckled, one arm stretching out to fumble with something. Because of the darkness from the setting sun, Ralene could not tell what he was looking for.

"Not yet." And suddenly a lever came into view as the man pulled on it. 

The floor underneath Ralene jolted and vibrated and she watched with amazement and slight fear as the ground level steadily rose until she was eye level with it and then darkness surrounded her. She was going underground! Qaden had been right! Joy overcame her and she let out a happy sound, something between a laugh and a cry.

She looked down just when her feet were suddenly illuminated. Slowly, the line of light crawled up her legs and body and she was blinded for a few seconds when it unexpectedly hit her eyes. 

She was too busy rubbing them and blinking furiously to notice that the glass 'lift' had finally reached it's destination. Looking around, she found herself in a small room. 

For one, there weren't any windows, but then again she was underground. The second thing she noticed was the amount of monitors in this place. Several of them lined the far walls, lighting up the room with their bright screens. But it wasn't that that interested Ralene the most.

Beside her glass tube was a completely identical one, with the same panel and seat, but it was empty. Qaden wasn't there.

It was then that the situation fully caught up with her. The joy and relief of being safe, the fear for her loved ones, the terror of the impending doom, all of it washed over her and she collapsed against the glass door, her back facing the monitors. 

Her sobs filled the small room. For the first time in her life Ralene was alone. Alone in an unknown place, alone in her glass prison.


	2. Chapter 2

"Ralene! Qaden! Get up, it's already seven thirty, you'll be late for school!" Sylena yelled as she walked past the two doors. 'It's good-'she lamented as she walked, the heavy stack of freshly ironed clothes making her pant slightly from effort,'-to have your children's rooms in one hallway.'

The girl groaned as she reluctantly climbed out of the warmth and comfort of her bed and instantly shivered, groping blindly for her house clothes. She loved school, she really did, but getting out at the crack of dawn? Who's genius idea was that? 

Grumbling something incoherently, she stood up shakily to her legs and began to look for her slippers. They always seemed to disappear in the mornings. Bleary hazel eyes slowly scanned the room for any sign of them but found none.

Ralene's room wasn't large by any means, but it wasn't tiny either. The wallpaper was a pleasant beige color with beautiful swirls that resembled flowers, Ralene liked nature and her mother made sure that everything in her room had some connection with the outside. 

There wasn't much furniture here. Her medium sized bed was pushed up against the wall and a large window that gave a perfect view of the park, her desk was in a corner, a few shelves were hung above it filled with books. She had her own laptop though she was told to use it only for school purposes, but what her parents didn't know wouldn't hurt them. She also had a small walk-in closet that she molded into a makeshift workplace where she would sometimes sit for hours doing just about anything she wanted.

Fishing her slippers out from beneath her bed, the girl yawned as she pulled them on and lazily trudged into the hallway, not bothering to close the door behind her and leaving it slightly ajar. 

"Ooof!" In her semi awake state, she didn't notice her brother walking out of his room and crashed straight into him, resulting her in bouncing back and falling on her rear in the most painful way imaginable.

"Ralene! You okay?" Qaden took hold of her shoulder and hauled her up so she could stand as gently as he could. Seeing that his sister was just dazed and nothing more, the boy chuckled and gave her a friendly nudge. "Come on sleepyhead, we'd better go get some breakfast before mom loses her mind."

The girl smiled up at him, though the effect was slightly ruined by her disheveled appearance. Together, they walked to the dining room.

Ralene gasped as she sat up from where she had slumped on the floor. For a moment, she was confused. Why was the surface against her back so cold? Did she fall from her bed? But then, why wasn't her mother yelling for her to wake up?

She rubbed at her eyes as she slowly returned to her senses. Just then, the events of the past few hours washed over her and her hazel eyes snapped open as she quickly looked around, hoping against hope that it had just been a bad dream.

She was still in the same glass tube that was for sure, but during her sleep the room had completely changed. It seemed that the bulls had come after all. Parts of the ceiling had caved in and now half the room was gone under an enormous pile of debris. There were cracks in the walls and in the parts of the floor that was visible. Only one monitor survived, but it's screen was cracked and she could just barely make out what was displayed on it. Some kind of text file, probably a report of some kind or work on the latest project of the government. The identical glass tube beside hers was untouched as well, more or less, but it was blocked by the debris. Perhaps she could try getting to it, but for what purpose?

The red head's hand flew to her jeans pocket and fished around for a few moments before pulling out a sleek red smartphone. Quickly typing in the password, Ralene dialed her parents, then her brother, then her grandmother. The calls weren't even going through... Cursing, she leaned against the control panel behind her and began to think.

She doubted the guard would be coming. Even if he survived, he wouldn't make getting her out his top priority. 

Reaching a decision, she tried wedging her fingers in the narrow space between the door and the glass wall and pulled. The door didn't budge. She tried again and again before finally deciding that it was useless. She tried to break the glass then, kicking and hitting it with all her might. That didn't work either.

That only left one option: the control panel. None of the buttons or switches were labeled, of course they weren't. Sighing, Ralene scanned each of them, trying to guess which one would open the door. 

Her hand brushed against the side of the control panel and the girl stiffened as she felt some change in the texture. Kneeling down to inspect the area more closely, she noticed a small rectangular button. This was perhaps her best bet. 

Ralene closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm her nerves before pressing the button. There was a loud hiss as the glass door slid to the side obediently and then a clang as it suddenly broke away from where it was attached to the tube.

The girl looked to each side before taking a tentative step outside the safety of the glass lift. Broken glass and other debris crunched under her weight, but other than that nothing happened. She took another careful step and now she was in the middle of what was left of the room.

Satisfied that nothing was going to come crushing down on her head any time soon, the girl made her way to the only monitor. She had to get out of here and find out what happened to her family.

The monitor was cracked in several different places, but what was displayed on it was still more or less readable and Ralene didn't hesitate to use it. It was a report on some group that apparently called themselves 'The Society'. And the person who wrote this suspected that they were somehow involved with the bulls. Curious, she continued reading. 

We have been unable to find 'The Society's' hideout. Their meetings are held all other the city erratically, there is no pattern to their movements that we could use. Several of our agents have tried to spy on the members, but each time they would somehow escape us. It's as if they disappear into thin air. We haven't yet come up with an explanation.

From what we were able to pick up is that they act like a cult of sorts. They recruit people and then preach to the bull gods so that they will preserve them. Bunch of crazies, really.

I tried introducing some of my guys into the group to sniff around a bit, but it's like these guys have a sixth sense or something. They seem to detect an agent even if he dresses and preaches just like them. When some of my best people wound up injured, I stopped trying...

The rest was a detailed description of the whole cult. Meeting places, clothes, their preaching. It seems that this cult was spread all over the globe and there was a group of government people monitoring them in each city.

The report said that 'The Society' was first established approximately three hundred years ago, the date of the last bull's attack according to legends. This cult was completely centered about the legendary anomaly. It also didn't seem to have a leader. If there was a person in charge, he or she was doing a damn fine job of staying low.

Sighing, Ralene turned away from the monitor to scan the room. That information wasn't what she needed. 

Something crunched below her foot and it didn't sound like broken glass or pieces of stone from the collapsed ceiling. Looking down, she spotted a crumpled yellowish slip of paper that was half buried under a fallen beam.

Kneeling down on the floor, the red head inspected her find. Grasping the beam with both hands, she grunted as she managed to lift it a few centimeters off the ground and hold it long enough to drag the holopaper from under it with her foot.

Reaching down, she picked it up and brought it to the monitor to let the light illuminate what was written on the crumpled piece.

Door to staircase behind monitor #3. Yes, this is for Jeddy. We don't need another broken fucking lift.

-Bax

The girl stiffened, looking down at the paper as if she didn't believe what she was seeing. A few seconds passed before she snapped out of what could only be described as a sort of trance.

Rushing to the monitor, she inspected every inch of it, her fingers trembling visibly as she traced the edges of the screen and panel. When she found the tiny engraved three in the otherwise smooth surface, she felt like she could've cried from happiness.

Grasping the edge of the monitor, she pulled, gathering all of her strength and pouring it into the action, the heels of her feet digging into the floor beneath her from the force. With a loud screeching sound, the screen detached from the wall and fell to the ground with a loud thud, bringing up a giant cloud of dust.

Coughing, the red head waved her hand in the air to somehow disperse the cloud so that she could breathe. When the dust cleared, she peered closely at the spot where the screen had once been.

A door. Well, a part of it more like. The rest was still covered by the table that still housed the keyboard. Luckily, it was easier to move than the screen had been and soon the girl found herself standing in front of her only way to get out of the small dungeon.

She opened it without hesitation, but stilled when she looked up at the dark, looming staircase. What would she find on the surface? Would it all be fine? Would her parents and Qaden be there, waiting for her? 

Fear took over. She felt her body start to shake as she leaned against the doorframe. Did she really want to go up?

Yes, she did.. She had to.

Steeling herself for what was to come and gathering every ounce of courage she had, she grasped the staircase railing and slowly began her ascent.

She couldn't tell how much time had passed since she began climbing up, the stairs seemed to stretch on endlessly upwards and she began worry that maybe it would've been better if she had waited. Maybe the guard had returned for her to bring her up?

Suddenly, she saw a dim light illuminate the staircase. Her heart did a somersault in joy. Almost there!

Ralene gasped, her eyes closing on reflex and her hands grasping the railing tighter as she was suddenly met with the bright sunlight in her face. Her eyes, that had by now gotten used to the darkness of the underground, stung and she groaned, rubbing at them furiously with one hand.

Once she had more or less adjusted to the blinding light of daytime, the redhead went up the last few steps and stopped in shock at the scene laid out before her.

Ralene was standing in the remains of what was the bank just the day before. One side of the building had completely collapsed allowing the aforementioned light inside, the other wall had remained standing by some miracle, though multiple long cracks ran stretched across the normally smooth white stone. The windows were shattered, glass littered every inch of the floor. 

The girl had to climb over the collapsed and broken machines the guard had leaned against just a few hours ago. 

Her whole body shook as shock and despair coursed through her. No, this wasn't happening! It couldn't be happening!

As she turned to the giant gap the collapsed wall had created, she felt her heart sink as she got her first look on the destroyed city.

No. No!

Most of the buildings had collapsed, either fully or partially. Only a few remained standing. Total destruction lay in every direction. But the buildings weren't the worst part.

Bodies littered the ground, the asphalt stained a permanent dark crimson. Old people, teenagers, young adults, children...

Before she even realized what she was doing, Ralene was running, tears pouring down her cheeks with wild abandon. She did her best not to look at them. Just the thought that one of them could be Qaden or her mother or father sickened her.

The girl ran through the empty streets, tripping over fallen crossbeams and other debris, but somehow managing to regain her footing each time before continuing, fueled entirely by panic and growing despair. She had to find her parents and Qaden. They couldn't be dead! The guard had promised her that he'd save her brother and there was just something about him that made Ralene trust him with all her heart. As for her mom and dad, they had the jetpacks, working ones. They must have lived. They had to.

She skidded to a sudden halt, looking at the scene before her, her mouth agape in horror. 

The house seemed to only have remained standing thanks the lone building next to it and the miracle of God, even then it was still leaning dangerously to the side. Half of it was unrecognizable, ruined, reduced to a mound of stone, glass and metal wires. 

Without thinking twice, the red head rushed towards it, trying to ignore the increasing thumping of the heart in her chest. Her family had to be waiting for her there. They couldn't be-

She refused to continue that line of thought as she made her way to her broken home.

The fall came completely out of the blue. Just as she was about to enter the building, she tripped, the force of momentum sending her flying to the ground. Instinctively she curled up, her hands coming up to cover her face and her legs curling to shield her torso.

She landed painfully, scabbing her arms and knees to the point of blood, a short cry and a whimper wringing from her throat. Sitting up shakily, she whimpered again, tears gathering in her eyes at the stinging pain radiating from her limbs. It hurt!

Looking around, Ralene spotted what she had tripped over and lurched backwards in shock, feet scrabbling against the concrete. It was a leg. What was worse, was that the red head was very familiar with the shoe and jeans in which it was clad. The rest of the body was hidden in the shadows. 

Gulping, the girl pushed herself to her feet, ignoring the hot blazing pain that immediately shot up her legs from the action. It had to be someone else, a coincidence, it couldn't be-

A broken sob wrung itself from her throat, a hand came up to clamp against her mouth and she turned away, her eyes closing and tears gathering in her eyes to pour down her cheek. She knew who it was.

Taffar. Her father.

He now lay in the dust and debris, his eyes wide open and glassed over in death, a his features forever frozen in a look of horror and terror, a thin trickle of blood dripping from his mouth.

Ralene gasped, leaning heavily against the wall, violent sobs wracking her small body in between heavy intakes of air. Suddenly it was hard to breathe. Why had he come down to the ground floor? Why didn't he take off from their balcony and used the Jetpacks to get away?

The answer was simple: because he was searching for them, for his son and daughter. And just when he was exiting the building he was struck down by the legendary cataclysm that had plagued their planet for many centuries. He probably didn't even have time to realize what was happening..

She turned away and keeled over, the contents of her stomach splattering onto the cracked asphalt. 

Ralene stood there for several moments, trying her best not to look at the body of her dead father, the silence surrounding her suddenly deafening. That was another thing. It was never this quiet. There was always something making noise in the city. But now there was nothing. It was eerie, disconcerting, frightening.

The red head turned away, her hands reaching out to grasp the staircase railing as she slowly made her ascent. Using the elevator was out of the question. It wouldn't work and if it did it could unbalance and bring the whole building down for all she knew.

Finally, the girl stopped. The apartment door hung precariously from one of it's hinges, just slightly ajar, allowing Ralene a glimpse of that familiar hallway. It was oddly illuminated, more than it should be even if all the lamps were turned on.

Her neck flexed as she gulped, grasping cautiously at the edge of the door with her fingers to pull it away just enough so she could slip past. Except she wasn't expecting it to suddenly detach and fall to the floor with a loud bang, sending up a giant cloud of dust and causing the floor to tremble just slightly underfoot.

Ralene stood motionless, waiting for the trembles to fade away before cautiously continuing. Entering the hallway, she gasped and pressed her back against the wall, hands pressed flat against the smooth wall and hazel eyes wide with terror. Where there was once another wall lined with windows, giving a spectacular view of the city, there was now a thousand foot drop down to the crimson and grey ground below.

The girl tore her gaze away from the terrifying sight, instead focusing on slowing down her breathing and calming herself just enough to begin carefully inching herself o the end of the hallway and towards the safety of the living room, all the while remaining pressed against the wall. Step, breathe, don't panic. Step, breathe, don't panic.

It was an agonizingly slow and terrifying walk, but eventually she made her way to the door, pulling it open with one quick jerk and dashing inside to safety. She took a few minutes to lean heavily on the smooth brown surface, one hand over her chest in relief.

When she opened her eyes though, the feeling evaporated as if it had never existed. Just like in the hallway, one wall and a part of the floor had caved in and fallen to the distant street below leaving a jagged ledge behind. Two bodies lay dangerously near the edge. Her mother and grandmother.

Without thinking she rushed towards them, pulling them away from danger and further into what remained of the once large room. Kruffa was stiff and cold to the touch, the sticky wetness of blood covering her whole body. Ralene knew she was dead. Grief consumed her, but she somehow pushed it away long enough to look down at her mother.

Hazel eyes met green and the girl gasped, instantly dropping to her knees next to her mother. Sylena was still alive. The woman's shaking hand reached for her daughter's cheek to gently caress it before it was grabbed by the girl's fingers. 

Ralene clutched at that frail limb as if it were her lifeline, pressing a kiss to the shaking palm as she held it where it had caressed her face, tears rolling down her cheeks and leaving shimmering tracks of moisture where they had passed.

Her mother sputtered and coughed, spitting out blood, her whole body wracking with the force of it, all in an effort to speak. 

"Ral... ene.." The voice was so faint the girl didn't even dare to breathe in fear of missing a single syllable. A faint gentle smile quirked her mother's lips. "A..live"

The girl quickly shushed her, gently lifting her mother's head to lay it across her lap, some of the woman's blood transferring onto her clothes though she paid no heed. One hand came down to caress that dear face, fingers softly weaving themselves in Sylena's hair, the action familiar for she had done it many times. 

"Yes, mom.." Ralene forced out, her voice barely more than a whisper, tears never stopping from flowing. "I'm here, I'm alive.." 

Another faint smile passed over her mother's features, though it was much weaker than the last. Those green eyes seemed to suddenly dim, eyelids drooping with sudden heaviness. "I am glad." And suddenly she was gone, her eyes fully closing and her whole body going limp.

Ralene gasped, pulling the body closer and grasping it tightly as if thought that action alone it could somehow bring her mom back. Except it didn't. 

The dam broke. 

An agonized wail pierced the stifling silence that had fallen over the room. The girl curled over the lifeless body that had been alive just the day before. She bawled and she cried and she yelled, pouring all of her pain, grief and suffering into the sounds. 

It hurt even worse than if someone tore her heart out and split into several tiny pieces.

Before she even realized what she was doing she was already halfway downstairs, running towards the exit, away from the home that had now turned into a tomb. 

The violent vibration from her footfalls was too much for the already unstable building. As she was ten feet from the doorway leading to the streets, there was a deafening cracking sound followed by crumbling walls and falling stone.

The girl gasped and sped up, weaving to and thro to avoid the plummeting objects, leaping through the exit and just narrowly avoiding the collapsing ceiling. 

She landed on the concrete with a jarring, painful thud, letting out a loud cry of pain as her already abused arms and legs made contact with the hard, splintered ground. Gasping, she lifted herself to her hands and knees, breathing deep as a strong wave of nausea washed over her.

The girl stayed like that for ten long minutes before she was able to shakily stand up, only to crumple back down on one knee. Ralene's body shook, adrenaline pulsing through her veins. 

The reality was too much. It had to be a dream. A bad, bad dream. Soon she'd wake up to her mother's voice. Soon she'd join her family for breakfast, each of them sharing their thoughts before wishing each other a good day and dispersing. 

Except she wouldn't. However much she tried to deny it, the red head knew that this was real. Her brother missing, her family dead, the whole city annihilated and herself as the sole survivor of the plague that was supposed to be a legend.

Ralene wanted to cry, to wail out in a mantra of sobs and yells of emotional pain and agony, but suddenly she couldn't. The tears had long dried and would not appear again. No matter how hard she tried, she could no longer cry and something told her that she never would again.

Rising to her feet, she stumbled away from the destroyed house, her arms curling over her torso, hugging herself as if in an effort to push away the agonizing feeling of loss and loneliness.

Nothing stirred in the shadows of the destroyed and lonely streets as she passed by. A heavy silence had fallen over the city. It was no longer a place where life thrived.. it was a graveyard.

Dim hazel eyes slid once over the cracked houses, broken windows and obliterated cars before returning to stare at the ground. Ralene's past life was nothing more than a distant dream and this - a harsh reality.

A clucking sound tore her from her depressing thoughts and she looked up, the gentle breeze just barely ruffling her dark auburn hair that shone bright red and golden in the bright sunlight that was in no way cheerful, given the circumstances.

The sound came again, this time sounding louder, closer. The girl perked up, her head turning this way and that as she tried to determine where the sound was coming from. It sounded like... hooves?

Before Ralene could fully identify the noise however, arms suddenly wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her into the almost pitch black shadows of a near by alley. Her loud gasp was muffled by a palm clamping firmly over her mouth, hot breath washing over her left ear.

"Don't struggle." The stranger hissed lowly as the tok-tok sound drew closer. The voice sounded feminine. Whoever was restraining her was female. 

There was a sudden spike in the volume of the noise and Ralene tore her attention away from her captor in favor of focusing it on the street. The noise stopped. Both girls involuntarily stilled, neither daring to even breathe. And then, suddenly, there was a loud shriek, a mix of a whine and a squeal. A white blur raced past their hiding place before disappearing around a distant corner, the clucking noise fading away into nothingness.

The hold around Ralene loosened and the girl wasted no time in wriggling out of it, turning enraged hazel eyes on the shadowy figure of the stranger. 

"Who are you?" She demanded, anger and frustration coming forth. "What the hell was that thing?!"

The stranger stood there for several long moments before letting out a deep sigh and stepping out of the dark safety of the alley and into the sunlit street. It was a girl, approximately fifteen to sixteen years. Her skin was a beautiful soft shade of black chocolate, her eyes were red and twinkled like rubies in the bright sunlight and her hair was the darkest raven black that Ralene had ever seen. 

The girl studied the soft oval of the stranger's face. There was an odd, ethereal sort of beauty in every line of her form. But that certainly didn't mean that just because she was pretty Ralene would trust her.

"My name is Trakira, and that thing was a bull." 

Hazel eyes widened and the red head snapped her head in the direction where the white blur had disappeared as if afraid that it would suddenly jump out at them. "A bull?! So they're real? This wasn't an earthquake? Then why was it alone? Don't they travel in a great herd?"

The older teenager pinched the bridge of her nose letting out a frustrated sigh. "Look, we can't talk here. We're too exposed out here, follow me." And she dove back into the alley without waiting for the girl's response. Ralene brows furrowed. Did this 'Trakira' seriously expect her to just follow without question? They'd just met!

"You got a death wish? What're ya waiting for?!" Came the annoyed voice from the darkness, closely followed by quick footsteps that became quieter and quieter as their owner placed more and more distance between herself and the sunlit street.

Silently cursing, the red head dove in after her.

Ralene didn't know for sure how long they had walked, but it felt like hours. They passed over streets, always staying in the shadows and always making sure to keep light on their feet so as to make as less noise as possible. 

After an hour or so of skulking, the red head was seriously doubting her choice to follow the dark girl. 

Finally, after what felt an eternity, Trakira slowed to a sprint and then to a walk and eventually stopped in front of a small shop. The windows were shattered, the entrance was partially blocked by a fallen crossbeam and several letters had fell from their perch above the shop or simply hung askew. 

Despite all that, Ralene recognized it as a bookstore, and one that she had visited often, either to get school books or just to look around for something entertaining to read.

Trakira turned her head just slightly over her shoulder to confirm the girl's presence, before swiftly crouching to her knees and crawling under the beam and into the destroyed shop.

Ralene stopped a few feet away from the partially blocked entrance and considered it. For all she knew, she could be walking into a trap. How could she just trust this 'Trakira' person? 'Even though she saved my life,' she grudgingly admitted.

Falling carefully to her battered knees, she peered under the beam and into the shop. Nada, nothing. Only darkness met her gaze. 

Sighing in resolution, she wriggled under the beam and into the dark building.

Trakira met her right on the other side, grabbing her by the shoulders and helping her up before whispering another 'follow me' and giving Ralene her hand since the younger girl's eyes had not yet accustomed themselves to the dark. 

The red head let herself be tugged along, weaving through tables and shelves, hissing now and then in pain as she hit her elbows and sides against the sharp edges. The raven haired teen ignored her, pulling her along to one of the smaller side rooms.

They stopped in front of a door. Light pooled through the edges, though it was considerably dimmer than the sunlight outside. 'A lamp', Ralene realized as her involuntary companion lifted a fist to tap her knuckles against the smooth metal. One tap, two fast ones, one tap.

Just as she pulled her hand away, the door creaked open with an awful squeal of it's rusty hinges, making the younger girl wince and resist the urge to cover her ears. Light washed over them, illuminating their forms and the destroyed store behind them.

A boy stood there, no more than nine or eight years old. Glancing at Trakira and him, Ralene noticed that never before had she seen such a stark contrast between two people. Unlike Trakira, the boy's skin was fair, even slightly pale, his hair was a sandy blond color, short and tangled, especially around the top area. His features, while by no means ugly, were considerably more crude than the soft lines of Trakira's face.

The only thing that the two had in common were the eyes. The same beautiful shade of red, though while Trakira's shone with composure and a sort of elegance, the boy's twinkled with mischief and wit.

"'Kira! Where were you? Who's this?" The child asked, looking curiously at Ralene. For some reason the girl realized that she liked him. 

Rolling her eyes, Trakira gestured to the excited youth. "This is my brother, Duktin. But I just call him Ducky." And, ignoring her sibling's indignant 'Don't call me that!' , she added. "Why don't we continue this inside? Where it's safe?"

Mimicking Trakira's eye roll, the girl looked down at the boy, Ducky. "Hey there, name's Ralene." She said, smiling just slightly and extending a hand. Duktin grasped it excitedly and shook it, a broad smile stretching across his round face.

The room they entered was small and somewhat cramped. Shelves and bookcases lined every inch of the walls, there were stacks of papers and books here and there - all of them varying in height. A large reading table stood in the middle of the room, guide books and maps of the city strewn all over it in one big mess.

What really caught Ralene's attention was a sheet of paper depicting a crude, childish drawing of an aileerian girl. By the mix of blacks and browns and reds, the girl easily guessed who it was and snorted a laugh. The drawing showed Trakira with her hands on her hips, scolding the grass for not being green enough with a comically angry expression. The girl found that she was liking Ducky more and more by the minute.

Trakira also noticed the picture and, once she made sure that the door was securely closed, immediately turned on her mischievous sibling. "Duktin! I explicitly told you to look through the maps of the city, not mess around and waste the little paper we had been able to salvage! Tell me, are you really that stupid or just pretending to be?!"

The boy shrank back as if he were slapped, but surprisingly quickly recovered and stuck out his tongue at her before sitting down to pull a guide book towards him with the expression of utter boredom on his face.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, the older girl turned to Ralene. Gesturing to the mess on the table, she said. "Ducky and I are trying to piece together a safe route out of this city. If you haven't yet noticed, it's all gone to hell and the bulls are all over the place, searching any stray survivors left. We have to get out. Our best bet is to use the back alleys and hide in this forested area over here." She pulled a map towards her to jam her pointer finger in a copse of trees signaling a forest just off the main highway.

"I was scouting when I bumped into you. You're the first survivor I've come across in the past twenty-four hours and I figured that the more people we gather, the better. That and I just couldn't watch you get killed just like that."

The red head nodded, pushing the memory of her dead family away. She couldn't let grief consume her. Turning her attention back to the older girl, she asked: "So.. the bulls are real? And they killed everyone in the city? Then how are you alive? Did you use Jetpacks? What -"

Trakira cut her off with a raised hand. "Woah, woah slow down. One question at a time." She sat down on a the bench next to the reading table, gesturing for Ralene to do the same. Once they were both sat and comfortable Trakira began speaking again.

"To answer your first question - yes, the bulls are real. They came like a White Sea of destruction and death. They obliterated everything and everyone who stood in their path. As far as I know, we're the only survivors.. at least in this city, though I'm not sure. There might be more. And as to how we're alive.."

The raven haired girl sighed, leaning her back against the edge of the table and crossing her arms firmly over her chest. "Ducky and I have just returned from a holiday out at the sea. Our parents picked us up in their car. We were just nearing the city when the catastrophe happened... Slipped out just in time before the car blew up and hid in the woods, but in the process we split up from our parents."

She rubbed almost tiredly at her temples, though Ralene could see her pain and distress as she uttered those few sentences. "Ducky and I figured it'd be best to get into the city. Easy access to food and clothing and also more places to hide.. We were even hoping to find a survivor group and join in, maybe find our parents that way." She snorted. "No such luck, and before you ask, our com phones were completely busted, so we couldn't call them. Not that they'd work anyway.."

The red head nodded, her gaze dropping to the floor. She wasn't the only one who had lost loved ones, but the knowledge that others had suffered as well didn't bring her relief.

A pregnant pause fell between them, the only sound was the soft rustling of paper as Duktin turned the pages of the guide book, seemingly lost in his own world. 

Finally, Ralene looked up, hazel eyes meeting red, and smiled. It was small, faint, almost unnoticeable, but it was there and Trakira saw it. "Well, I suppose it's best that we stick together then."

The older girl nodded in agreement. "Yeah, suppose so."


End file.
